Metalworking machine



Feb. 6, 1945.

c. N. RAIBOURN 2,368,614

METAL WORKING MACHINE Filed Nuv. 9,1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 3 vii'intotFeb. 6, i Q URN v METAL WORKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 9, 1942 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 6, 1945. c. N. R'AIBOURN 2,368,614

METAL WORKING MAM-PINE I Filed Nov. 9,, B42 5 Sfiqets-Sheet sdwrkkmazazzrm Patented Feb. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICEMETALWOR-KING MACHINE- Charles N. Raibourn, Washington, D. 0.

Application November 9, 1942, Serial No. 465,057 17 Claims. (01. 82-3 Myinvention relates to metal working machines and specifically to amachine for forming smooth surfaces on small metal plates such aselectrodes used in piezo-electric frequency control devices.

It is an object of my invention to form such surfaces while avoiding anydanger of warping of the plates so finished either during or after theoperation thereon.

Another object is to provide means for so finishing the surface inquestion while safeguarding the plate against any possibility of highcenter at the center of the plate.

Another object is to provide for very accurate and minute adjustment ofthe cutting means herein described, so as to make the depth of out veryaccurate and to be able to vary'the depth by very minute increments.

, Another object is to greatly increase the production of such platesover previously known apparatu for the same purpose. 3

Another object is to provide improved workholding means for such plates.

Referring to the annexed drawings, which are made a part ofthisfapplication and in which similar parts are indicated by similarreference characters:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of the machine of 'my invention,

Fig. 2, a front elevation, I

Fig. 3, a diagrammatic view of workholder driving means, in section online 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4, a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5, a top plan of a workholder or chuck forming part of myinvention,

Fig. 6, a vertical central section of the same,

Fig. '7, a top plan of a modified chuck,

Fig. 8, a vertical central section of the same.

Fig. 9, a vertical section of a toolholder forming part of the machineof my invention, and means for supporting the same,

Fig. 10, a top plan of the toolholder and support, on line ll of Fig.9,partly in section,

Fig. 11, a perspective view of the toolholder per se,

Fig. 12, a section on line |2l2 .of Fig. 9,

Fig. 13, a top plan of a cam forming part of my invention,

Fig. 14, an elevation of the 'same,

Fig. 15, a top plan of a plate that has been treated by the-machine ofmy invention,

Fig. 16, a section on line lB l6 of Fig. 15, and

Fig. 17, an elevation of a modified form of my machine, with parts insection.

In the drawings, reference'character 25 indicat'es a base plate formingthe support for various parts of my machine, this plate being preferably provided with upstanding marginal portions 2| as indicated in Fig.1,- so as to provide a receptacle for oil and grease thrown off theparts that is j-ournaled in a bearing 21 on plate 20 and which drivesbelt gearing including a belt 28 and pulleys 29 and 30, said belt beingadapted to drive either the pulleys 3I,-32 or pulleys 33, 34, of rotaryworkholders hereinafter described, when either of said pairs of pulleysis positioned to enage said belt.

Motor 22 is connected to a turret 35, for rotating the same at greatlyreduced speed, by. means including a belt 36 trained about pulleys 31,38, the pulley'38 being fast to a shaft carrying a worm 39 which drivesa worm wheel 40 on ashaft 4| connected by pulleys 42, 43 and a belt 44to a shaft 45 (Fig. 4), said shaft'being provided with' a pinion 46 forrotating the turret when any one of a plurality of racks 41 arranged inspaced relation about the depending skirt 41 of the turretis in positionto be engaged by said pinion. In the machine illustrated there are foursuch racks, there being one for each of the four workholders, but onlythree'of the racks are shown in the drawings.

The turret 35 is provided, as stated, with four rotary workholders eachof which is journaled in a sleeve 48 secured to the body of the turret,preferably by bolts shown at 48', the workholders each including ahollow shaft 49 with, upper and lower integral collars 50, 5| journaledabove and below by suitable radial-thrust bearings 52 (Fig. 6) which actas combined journal and end thrust bearings. On the lower end of eachworkholder is one of .the driving pulleys 3| to 34. Above the uppershoulder a head is secured to each shaft 49, said head consisting of achuck plate in the form of a plate 53 threaded on the sleeve, this platehaving a depending mantle 54 to cover the bearings enclosed thereby.

A chuck body 55 is fixed to the plate 53 as by means of screws 56, thisbody conveniently comprising four sectors, as shown in Fig. 5, forreadyassembly. The parts of the chuck body are shaped so as to leave a squarehole in the head and each segment has near its upper end an inwardlyextending bead at 51, providing a pivoton which one of the four chuckjaws 58 may rock.

The enclosed position of the chuck. is shown in Fig. 6, where the jawshold a square metal plate 58 (commonly, in the work now being done, of

about the size of the jaw openings shown in Fig. 5, though I do notlimit myself to any specific size of work). The lowermost position ofthe plate 59 is determined by gauge Pins 68, 68 set into the chuck plate53 and extending upward to a level just below the extreme top of thechuck jaw at the corners of the opening in body 55, i. e., betweentheextreme outer corners of the jaws. I

The chuck is opened by moving the jaws up: ward about: their pivots,only a slight movement being required for this purpose. To this end arod 6 I is mounted in the hollow shaft. for endwise reciprocationthrough said shaft, said rod being provided at its upper end with adetachable part 62 that is or may be square in cross section, andcarries at its upper end a square head 63 having a slot at each side forengaging the reduced inner lip 64 of the adjacent jaw. The head 63 andthe end of part 62 have intersecting saw cuts 65 dividing the same intoquarters 66 (Fig. corresponding to the lip portions of the respectivesegmental jaws 58.

The rodsBI are normally held in their lowermost or chuck-closingposition by means of leaf springs 61 which may be secured at oppositeend to the driving pulleys 3 I 44 of the workholders. Each spring 61 isprovided midway between its ends with a hole to receive ascrew 68 thatextends through the hole and fastens spring 61 to rod 6|. Each rod 6| islifted by a lever 69 pivoted at 18 and'provided at its free end with afollower 'II adapted to ride on cams 12 secured to the base plate 28 inposition to elevate the rods 6| and open the chucks that are in idleposition as at the right and left sides of Figs. 1 and 2. The

working position of the chucks is illustrated in Fig. 4 and at themiddle of Figs. 1 and 2, where there is no cam to raise lever 69 andhence they are held down by the action of springs 61, though themovement is of very limited extent from open position to closed positionof the chuck.

In the modified form of the chuck (Figs. '7 and 8) the parts aregenerally similar in construction and operation to thosea-bove describedexceptas now to be indicated. The chuck body 13 is an integral circularplate fitting in an annular flange 14 in a chuck plate I5 forming partof the head of the workholder, and said plate has an annularfian'ge toreceive a chuck jaw 16 fixed to plate 13 by screws 11, the plate beinglikewise fixed to plate 15 by screws I8. Within the jaw are threeupright pins I8 upon which the work rests and by which it is locatedvery exactly'in place during the finishing operation.

The jaw 16 fits closely at opposite sides of the work (e. g., at top andbottom in Fig. 7) and a movable jaw 88 serves to clamp the work betweenit and the opposed face on jaw 16. Jaw 88 is formed as a bent leverpivoted at 8I on the fixed jaw and connected to the vertically slidablerod 82 by a screw 83. The fixed jaw ispreferably slightly relieved, asindicated at 85, so as to permit a blank to be gripped firmly eventhough it may have slight irregularities at certain points which wouldotherwise have to fit exactly against the facepf the fixed jaw.

The tool-holding devices are fixed in place and comprise a central postincluding a lower post member'86 fixed to the base plate 28, as by abolt 81 extending through said parts and threaded into an upper. postmember 88. The post mem bers are separated by a fiber washer 88 restingin a recess in lower member 85 and clamped between said post members bythe bolt 87, and the turret 35 rotates about the upper post member 88and rests'on said'fiber washer 89, the skirt 4'! and the central sleeve98 of the turret serving as a.

clamped in place by screws 96' and 81 (Figs. .10

and 11).

The toolholder 93 is adjustable with relation to the work by meansincluding a plate 98 pivotally fixed to the bar 9| by a screw 89. Eachplate 98 carries at its outer end a follower I88 on a bolt I8I, saidfollowers cooperating with cams I82 mounted on upwardly extendingflanges I83 of the turret. By means of a setta'ble screw bolt I 84 onthe toolholder the plate 98 can be sprung or tilted downward more orless with relation to bar 9|. When the follower I88 rides on a cam I82it can spring the bar 8| upward more or less (of course to a very minuteextent) and so vary the elevation of the tool withrespect to the workblank. 1

Another adjustment for vaiying the point at which the tool is positionedto engage th work includes the plate 88 and its pivot 89, together witha screw I86 having a knurled head I81. The

screw I86 is fixedv against endwise movement in a hole in thetoolholder, by means of a shoulder I88, and the threaded portion of thescrew .engages a threaded opening in the enlarged head of a screw I89.It will be evident that rotation of screw I86 will adjust the plate 98about its pivot at 99 and'so vary the point of incidence of the followerand its cam I82.

While the'wo'rk to be done is not intended to be limited in any way bydisclosure in this appli cation, Figs. 15 and 16 have been addedasshowing a type of work for which the. mechanism was originally designed.In this operation small square or rectangular blanks I I8 about one-halfinch square and one-sixteenth inch thick, such as used for electrodes inpiezo-electric frequencycontrol devices, are to have one face reducedslightly at the corner III, and somewhat more,

I reduce the thickness of the plate still farther at this point, asshown at I I3.

To control the operation'of the cutter for. machining :blanks as aboveset forth, the cams I82 are made as .best shown in Fig. 14, with arelatively high level at IM to permit the cutter to machine the rotatingblank at the corners I II as the cutter is slowly traversed by theturret driving means 46, 4I'(Fig. 4). When the follower reaches the endof'leve'l H4 the cutter is permitted to descend to a lower level H5,andso to take a deeper out while traversing that level and machining theface I'I'2. When that is completed the cutter is near the center of theblank and the follower then descends to level I I5, permitting thecutter to descend farther and cut deeper at H3, so as to eliminateanypossible central burr.

ret by pinion 46 and rack 41 continues sufllciently to move the workbeyond reach of the cutter. Obviously the relative lengths andheights ofthe faces or levels on the cams I02 may be varied according to the needsof the work, as to its size and as to the number and relative heights ofthe faces to be made thereon. Suitable handles H8 are provided on theturret for rotating the same normally through the intervals betweenracks 41.

In the operation of my machine in the form so far described, blanks arelocated in the chucks of the idle units, i. e., those corresponding topulleys 33 and 34 in Fig. 1, these chucks being now held open againstthe tension of their springs 61, by means of levers 69 and cams 12. Whenthe turret has been rotated, by means of pinion 46 and a rack 41, as faras it can be driven by the same, it becomes stationary. The operator nowgrasps handles H8 and rotates the turret far enough to engage the nextrack 41 with pinion 05. In so doing he also moves the pulleys 3i and-32away from belt 28 into the idle position of pulleys 33, 34 in Fig. 3,and brings pulleys 33 and 34 into operative relation to said belt, 1. e.into the position of pulleys 3I and 32 in Fig. 4. Now thelevers 69 haveridden off the cams I2 and permitted the chucks to close; theworkholders are rotating, and so cutting begins at the corners of theblank and continues as above described. While the newlyplaced blanks arebeing machined the operator removes those just finished, their chuckshaving been opened by the levers 69 riding'upon the cams l2, and placesother unmachined blanks in the chuck, afterwhich the cycle of operationscontinues as described. As illustrative of the capacities of themachine, the first level II4 of cam I02 may be such as to cause the toolto reduce the thickness of the blank 0.005 inch at the corners III, thefollowing face at II5 may permit the tool todrop so as to reduce thepart H2 by another 0.001: inch, the face at H6 may permit the tool todrop so as to reduce ,the central part of II5 by another 0.001: inch andthe face III is so high as to lift the tool 0.015 inch or more, so as toclear all parts of the blank 59. Suitable proportions in length for thefaces of cam I02 may be three-fourths inch for face H4; one-half inchfor face H0, one-quarter inch for face H6, and one and one-half inchesfor face In. But obviously all such dimensions are relative and may bevaried according to the size of the blank, the depth of cuts desired,and other conditions of the work.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 17, the parts shownat 20, 35', 01, 08, 55', 86, 08', 0|, 05, 90', 01, 08', 99, I00, IOI',I03, and other parts not specifically indicated by reference characters,are or may be identical with parts shown in the form previouslydescribed. In this form of the invention the track cam I02 is replacedby a flat-topped member 9 which serves merely as a guide and steady restfor follower I00 and which does not vary the height of the cutter 95'.It may be noted that the cam II9, like cam I02, is held on the turret bya removable segmental piece I20 fixed to the turret by screws or thelike (not shown).

For varying the heights of the cutters with reference to the work I haveprovided an upright pin I2I for each cutter which may have itsrespective ends set into recesses in the toolholder 03" and a. lever I22pivoted at I23 on a crown piece I24 above the bar 9| and fixed to thewhichis shown at I25. Instead of the solid screw bolt 81 of Fig. 4,thepost members in Fig. 17 are secured together by ahollow screw boltI26. An upright rod I21 passes through said bolt I26 and through thecenter post and crown piece, this rod being reduced at its upper end toprovide an annular shoulder for engagement with the reduced inner endsI28 of levers I22.

At the lower end of ,rod I21 I provide a cam I20, here. shown 'asbeingrotary and as having four faces at different distances from its centerof rotation. These faces may bear the same relation to each other inrespect of length and height (or distance from the center of rotation)as the faces of cam I02, and serve the same purpose, in that theyelevate rod I21 more or less and so, through the medium of levers I22and pins I2I, spring the ,bar 9| and/or plate 98' to a greater or lessdegree so as to bring the toolholder and tool into position to cut ablank down accordingly. For the purpose of rotating the cam I29 Iprovide a ratchet I30, fixed to the cam or to its shaft and having onetooth for each cam face, 50 located as to bring that face into operativeposition. The ratchet is turned by a pawl I3I on a lever I32 which leveris moved by an armature I33 in, a direction to rotate the discv campositively and is retracted by a spring I3 1. The; armature is energizedby a coil I35 in circuit with a battery I36, all of these parts beingshown as carried by a bracket I31 on base plate 20'. The circuit. isnormally open, but is closed at intervalsby means comprising contactsI38, I39 carried by any fixed part, c. g., by post member 86', one ofwhich contacts is located on a circuit closing bent lever I40 pivoted atMI. The lever I40 is operated intermittently during rotation of theturret, by means of lugs I43 depending from the turret, and so locatedas to change the height of the cutter at appropriate times with relationto the operation of the remaining parts.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes maybemade in the devices of my invention, all without departing from thespirit of the invention, and therefore I do not limit myself towhat isshown in the drawings and described in the specifications but only asindicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a metal Working machine, a turret, a plurality of chucks spaced.about the periphery of said turret, stationary toolholders located atspaced points about said turret, a fixed tool on each toolholder, meansfor rotating only those chucks that are in operative relation to saidtoolholders, means for rotating the turret positively through a shortare while the work on a chuck is being traversed past a tool on atoolholder, and manual means whereby the turret may subsequently berotated to bring another chuck into operative relation to eachtoolholder and to the chuck driving means.

2. In a metal working machine, a turret manually rotatable through anarc, power means for subsequently rotating the turret through anotherarc, a workholder on the turret, jaws on the workholder, spring meansfor closing said jaws, means operative while the workholder is passingthe toolholder to rotate the workholder and then permitting theworkholder to become stationary, and means for positively opening saidjaws when the rotation of the upper post. member 88' asbyv screws. oneof 75.: workholder stops.

3. In a metal working machine, a turret manually rotatable through anpower means for subsequently l rotating the turret through another arc,a plurality of chucks on said turret,spring means for holding saidchucks closed, means operative while a chuck is passing 1 a toolholderto rotate the chuck and then per- -mitting the chuck to cease rotation,manual means whereby the turret. maybe rotated to bring the next chuckinto operative position With relation to the toolholder and the chuckdriving means, and means for opening the jaws of the idled chuck.

4. The combination of a turret, racks spaced about the periphery of theturret, a pinion positioned to engage said racks in succession, one ormore handles on the turret for rotating the 1 same manually to cause thepinion to engage a i rack, spindles on the turret adjacent each of i theracks, and means for rotating the spindle adjacent an individual rackwhile the rack is engaged by said pinion.

5. The combination of a turret, segmental racks spaced about theperiphery of the turret, a pinion positioned to engage said racks insuccession, driving means for the pinion, and one or more handles on theturret for manually rotating the same into position to cause the' pinionto engage a rack and rotate the turret.

6. A metal working machine comprising a turret, means for rotating thesame, a rotary workholder on the turret, a stationary tool- ,1 holder, acutter' thereon for operating on the Work while the rotating workholderis passing the cutter, and automatic means for varying the depth of cutproduced on difierent parts of the work, including a yieldable supportfor the cutter, and means extending circumferentially of the turret foracting on said support during a cutting operation to move the cutter andso to vary the depth of the cut.

7. A metal working machine comprising a turret, means for rotating thesame, a rotary f workholder on the turret, a, stationary tooi- 1 holder,a cutter thereon for operating. on the work while the rotatingworkholder is passing the cutter, and automatic means for varying the 1depth of cut produced on difierent parts of the I work, including ayieldable support for the cutter, a follower on the support and a cammounted on the turret to rotate therewith said cam being. positioned toengage said follower and 1 having parts differing in height.

8. A metal working machine comprising a 1 turret, means for rotating thesame, spindles jaws of different spindles."

9. A metal working machine comprising a I turret, means for'rotating thesame, a, rotary workholder on the turret, a stationary toolholder, acutter thereon for operating on the work while the rotating workholderis passing the cutter; and automatic means for varying the depth of cutproduced on different parts of means operable in the rotation of theturret i for successively and automatically opening the.

the work, including a cam having portions of 1 different height, meansfor moving said cam I step by step while the work is passing the cutter,a yieldable support for the cutter; and

means for causing the different height portions of the cam to'depressthe cutter correspondin ly toward the work and so to varythe depth ofcut. v

10. A metalworking machine comprising a turret, means for rotating thesame, a rotary workholder on the turret, a stationary toolholder, acutter thereon for operating on the Work, while the rotating workholderis passing the cutter, and automatic means for varying the depth of cutproduced on difi-erent parts of the work, including a rod extendingaxially of the turret, a cam below the turret, said cam having portionsof different height each adapted to engage said rod, means on the turretfor causing the cam to be moved step by step, a-resilient support 'fotthe cutter, and *means for transmitting the movements of said rod to thecutter support for forcing the c utter toward the work to varyingextents so as to vary the depth of cut.

11. A metal working machine comprising a turret, means for rotating thesame, a rotary workholder, on the turret, a stationary toolholder, acutter: thereon for operating on the work while the; rotating workholderis passing the cutter, and automatic means for varying the depth of cutproduced on differentparts of the work, including a resilientcutter-support, a rod coaxial with the turret, a rotary cam engaging oneend of the rod, means for rotating the cam said means including apawl,an electromagnet for operating the pawl, a normally open circuit for thepawl, and abutments on the turret for closing the circuit at intervalsto cause said pawl to rotate said cam step by step.

12. A metal working machine comprising a turret, means for rotating thesame, a rotary workholder on' said turret, a stationary toolholder, astationary tool thereon for operating on the work while. the rotatingworkholder is passing the tool, automatic means for varying the depth ofcut on'different parts of the work, including a tool support on thetoolholder movable toward and from the work, and means operable duringthe transit of the work past the tool for so moving the tool support.

13. The combination of a turret mounted to rotate on a vertical axis,spaced workholders on said turret, a pulley at the lower end of eachworkholder, a pair of pulleys on the fixed frame of the machine atopposite sides of the turret,

a belt trained about all of said pulleys, the

pulleys on said workholders being so arranged that alternate ones mayengage the belt and be driven thereby while intermediate ones are out ofengagement with the belt, stationary tools adapted to engage the work oneach of the rotating workholders, and turret driving means arranged todrive the turret only while a pair of its workholders are being'rotated,so as to traverse the work on a workholder past the corresponding tool,after which the rotation of the turret ceases; I

14. In a metal working machine, the combination of a turret, a,stationary tool adjacent thereto, a workholder on the turret, powermeans for rotatin the turret through an arc, said workholder being solocated as to pass the tooltions, and means for adjusting the toolcircum.

ferentially of the turret so as to position it f0 engagement with therotating work.

15. The combination of a turret, a turret driving device locatedadjacent the periphery of the turret, means at spaced intervals aboutthe periphery of the turret for coacting with the turret driving deviceto rotate the turret, manual I driving device.

16. The combination of a turret mounted for rotation, spaced workholderson said turret, a driving pulley for each workholder, a pair of pulleyson the fixed frame of the machine at opposite sides of the turret, adriven belt trained about all of said pulleys, the pulleys on saidworkholders being so arranged that alternate ones may contact the beltand be rotated therer by while the intermediate ones are stationary,

a tool for engaging the work on each rotating workholder, and turretdriving means arrangedto rotate the turret only While the workholders ofa set are being rotated, after which the rotation of the turret ceases.

17. A device as in claim 16, including means whereby the turret may bemanually rotated to bring the previously idle pulleys into position toengage the belt for rotating their workholders, while the previouslydriven ones are idle. M

CHARLES N. RAIBOURN.

